MIAMI, March 10, 2026, 16:48 EDT
Bookings are now open for over 50 Celebrity Cruises Galapagos trips slated for 2028, Royal Caribbean Group said Tuesday, deepening its focus on premium, destination-driven offerings. The itineraries, set aboard the 100-guest Celebrity Flora, will stretch from seven up to 16 nights. Travelers can tack on land excursions in Ecuador and Peru, according to the company.
Royal Caribbean’s new itineraries stack up more premium cabins for advance sale. Back in January, the company said bookings during Wave—the prime January-to-March promotional window—were running unusually hot, with roughly two-thirds of 2026 capacity already snapped up at all-time high prices. It’s also projecting double-digit revenue growth for this year.
Royal has already pulled ahead of the pack with that strategy. Last year, Reuters highlighted how CocoCay, Royal’s private island, drove up ticket revenue faster than cost increases. Kenneth Kuhrt, executive vice president at Ariel Investments, called CocoCay “the big edge” for Royal, especially as Carnival and Norwegian scramble to expand their own lineups of exclusive destinations. Reuters
Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises, described the Galapagos itineraries as an “elevated and intimate” approach to visiting the islands. As for its Rewilding Galapagos effort, the company said over 86 acres have already been restored and it’s aiming to plant 100,000 trees by 2028. Stock Titan
Royal Caribbean keeps pushing into the upscale market, and not just with its ocean liners. Back in January, Celebrity River Cruises—part of the group—announced plans for 10 additional ships and rolled out its 2028 European itineraries. Chief Executive Jason Liberty called it a move toward a “connected vacation ecosystem,” aiming to keep guests circulating within its own brands. PR Newswire
No one rushed to buy Royal Caribbean on Tuesday. The stock closed at $285.03, a drop of 1.9%. Carnival edged down 0.8% and Norwegian finished off by 1.7%.
The mood remains unsettled. Oil slid over 11% Tuesday following remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump that calmed some supply worries. Still, Norwegian flagged last week that guessing 2026 fuel prices is tricky, with ongoing geopolitical risks keeping energy traders jittery.
There’s a catch for Royal as it starts selling trips so far in advance. Truist analyst Patrick Scholes pointed out that cruise demand wasn’t “quite as strong as many people wanted it to be” even prior to the Iran conflict hitting cruise stocks, he told MarketWatch. marketwatch.com
